Houston weather: 16-year-old construction worker dies in storm, co-workers share what happened

Several investigations are underway after a 16-year-old died in Tuesday's storm when the house he was working on caved in on top of him.

It was there in Magnolia where the wild weather turned deadly.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Magnolia homes collapse, 16-year-old killed amid severe weather, officials say

In addition to the Magnolia Fire Department, the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, OSHA and the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division have teams at the site looking into exactly what caused the house to collapse, killing a 16-year-old who was there working when the wicked weather hit. 

It's difficult for the teen's co-workers to continue construction today, knowing someone's child died here. 

"Yes, it is because we are fathers too. I'm sorry for that family," says one worker named Hector. 

It was just a summer job for the 16-year-old, working construction, building new homes in Magnolia, and he lost his life doing it.

His co-worker, Jesus Altamirano, says when they realized the teen was missing, they telephoned him, and could see his phone screen lighting up deep underneath the rubble. It was Altamirano who gave the tragic news to the teen's father, who was also working nearby.

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"Telling his dad what happened was the worst part. I told him. The man just fell there. He started kicking and screaming," says Altamirano.

"It's something I can sympathize, given the fact that I have kids that are starting to approach that age. You want them to go out and do the right thing and go work and start being members of society, and it's unfortunate," adds Captain Bryan Perry with the Magnolia Fire Department. 

It took the Magnolia Fire Department three hours to reach the 16-year-old, and they soon realized their rescue was a recovery mission.

There are three homes that couldn't stand up to the storm. One, where the teen was working, completely caved in. The second house partially collapsed, and the third is left leaning.

"This storm really came out of nowhere. It was pretty sunny out. Then it got a little bit cloudy and then it just turned absolutely darkness. I can tell you it was very strong straight-line wind that was blowing through the area at the time of the collapse," Perry explained.  

The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office is now the lead investigating agency.


 

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